Assembling and packing articles



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ASSEMBLING AND PACKING ARTICLES Original Filed May 51, 1941.

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. NZiNTZY/fifffl 'uzfler now on 3 Frank amrem Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED; STALT arem. QEFIICE;

2,608,032? ASSEMBEINGAND momma ARTI L S;

Cutler D,.; ,Knowlton, Rockpprt, andFi-ank R;

ThreslLfBevrly, Mass, assignors to Hoague S'rarttgue' Corporation, Lynn, Mass, a corporae ef Mese he i Original app lication May 31, 1941, Serial No.

396,226. Divided 17,193 115,- Se

This invention relates to the assembling of variolis articles} it beingespecially applicableto the arrangement in groups of boiies and'their covers. I'nthe making andffo rwarding of boxes, as -those for cont'ainirig shoes, to -manufacturers hywh'oni they are to be used for packagingthe'ir product, it is the usual practicelto set up boxes arid the covers' ther'for separately; after which each box is c1osed by the application of' a cover. The closed f'boxesfare then'jt'aken in groups, and placed in the casein whichtheyare to'beshipped; An object of 'the present invention {is to "facilitate the casing or: packing operations, 'eachstep being efiected automatically "with "speed and accuracy;

Y In'th e 'attainnient of 'thisl'object, articles, such as boxes closedwith their covers', are successively assembled series, rows and layers, said layers being deposited-in packingrases'or containers. The cases to be pa'ck'ed may be" successively 'forwarded; as by corivyors, andtemporarily retained in a position"tobe tested orf meash'red. to control the assemblin'e', and other mechanisms. The measurements may include'the length and width of the case. The first of these is accom' p lished -by a series" offeelers or other testing devices, which, by their =relation'=to""the end "or the case, control-e1ectrica1 means whichde'terrriiri's the proper relation 'between 'walls"holding "the rows'of box units "for assembm'in' 'nyer: At the -sametime, a'detec'torbreofitact devicevvhich initiates" the transfer of a row from its support to a position between the walls =is' adjust ed, as by being mounted upon-the wall moved'jto locate itin accordance with the: length o'f the row to be acted upon; The second measurement-is as-to the width of the case,this'beingbbtained by"the extent 'of .movement of the entire series of the first-mentionedtesting devices, andpositioning" a detector for" the layer-depositing memlo'er,"-'so this will act when the desired number I ofrows hav'e beenassemble'din a layer. The cases are received by. means, herein shown as :anelevator, which presentsthem' tobe packed. In this latter move ment, closing 1aps,with which the case-walls are provided, are acted upon by members to 'bothtflrn said-laps out to avoid interference with elements of the machine, and toturn them in to leave exposed portionsof the labels which the'box-iinits hear. Certain of the turn-oiit'nleinbers are best operated selectively, while the turn in m'emb'er's act uponeachcase presented to them; There may be also some turn-ont'members effective for all cases The elevator "is start'edin its movement by the arrival of a case llpoli it, and is stopped at a level determined "by the' number of 2 layers w-hich the caseisto receive. Its descent is initiated underthe control' of .theimechanisrnzby which the layers of box-units are depositedaupon it" and is stopped by (means which .it actnates. Feel'ers or like im'ean's move to test, dimensions ,of the case upon the elevator, for the purpose oi correctly'stopping theasc'entof said elevator and for controlling the lap-turningmeans jThe feel ers'; jointly with a vcam or "like means moved :by the elevator, govern, as by settingivalvesrfluide pressure means bytwhichstop mechanism for the elevator and" actuatingmechanism for ;;the la-I turning means are respectively operated. :to the firstoilthesetthe'height. of .the case' is tested, and an el'ernent'i of the Jst'o'pim'e'chanism Lset :in accordance with the the test. Asito the SfiQQlld. a test' i s made of sthe length of1lthe'case and a chosen lap-turn-out membermberatied, since the best exposure of 'the :loox-label's ,may :be :arrived at'from this dimension. Another object of the invention relatestothe methodlp'erformedtinthe folding ofythe, casejaps for theiexposure' of; labels :upon' articles. As case is upon its Way to the packing positio test is made of. a dimension and one; orzanqther of the laps folded, as by turning; out-thelapj deter mined by the test andwthereafteritllrn ng inganother lap. The in-turning actionzn ayme ;pro=- duced, regardless of the "lap :lwhich has been turned out. The lap-foldingior'qturningj having been accomplished, the articles are inserted'gin thecasewhile the lapiisin-folded;

The present't-case is a V'division of. the v:alltflithtion filed in'our names infl the United? States Patent Office on tMay1-3 1,, 119451, and l'bearing the Serial, N umber, .39 6,226. now l?atenti-N .0. ,;2',4QQ-,l 5,3, grantedMayli, 1946.

In the accompanying drawings ,illhstratingpne of many :possible-v embodiments of, our invention, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improvedgma' chine, a portion of the operating :mec'han m above the casing sectionibein'gi'removed; Fig. 2, anxenlargedi sectional detail-01,1; the line II--1I of Fig. :1,'snowm thefretainingjmeans for the 1 closed i boxes which are :being arranged in a row; I, V N

Fig. 3, a sectional detail on:.the.-1ine ILI III of "Fig. 2; i Fig. 4, a broken side elevation of theclosing section, looking from the right of the machine; 'Fig'." "5., an" enlarged transverse section "oni-the Y. 7; .J a f i,

Fig. 6, a "diagrammatic view of-meansfon-determining and rejecting unmatched bo'xes'fia'nd covers;

Fig. 7, a top plan view of the final section of the setting up machine with which the apparatus of the present invention co-operates, together with the immediately adjacent portion of such apparatus;

Fig. 8, a transverse section through the receiving portion of the assembling section, looking rearwardly with respect to the advance of the work;

Fig. 9, an elevation of the lower portion of the closing section, together with the determining and rejecting means, it being viewed in the same direction as Fig. 8;

Fig. 10, a broken side elevation of the inner portion of the assembling section, together with the casing section;

Fig. 11, an enlarged sectional detail of the detector for controlling the delivery of an assembled layer of closed boxes to a packing-case, this being taken on the line XI-XI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 12, an enlarged top plan view of the operating mechanism for the assembling and casing sections;

Fig. 13, a partial elevation of the assembling section, looking rearwardly through the receiving portion;

Fig. 14, a rear elevation of the lower portion of the casing section;

Fig. 15, a side elevation thereof, looking from the left in Fig. 14

Fig. 16, a broken detail in elevation of the testin mechanism, which measures the horizontal dimensions of the cases to be filled;

Figs. 17, 18 and 19, sectional details on the lines XVII-XVII, XVIII-XVIII and XIXXIX, respectively, of Fig. 16;

Fig. 20, a similar view, enlarged, on the line XXXX of Fig. 27;

Fig. 21, a View in elevation of the wall-adjusting mechanism governed by the testing mechanism of Fig. 16;

Fig. 22, an enlarged elevation of the relay mechanism of Fig. 21, viewed oppositely from Fig. 21;

Fig. 23, an enlarged top plan view of one of the solenoids of Fig. 21;

Fig. 24, a broken enlarged elevation, looking from the right in Fig. 21;

Fig. 25, an enlarged transverse section on the line XXV-XXV of Fig. 21;

Fig. 26, a diagrammatic perspective illustrating the courses of the box-parts through theclosing, assembling and easing sections of the machine;

Fig. 27, an elevation, as viewed from the rear of the machine, of the dimension-determining means partially illustrated in Fig. 16, together with the means for successively advancing the cases to be tested;

Fig. 28, a similar view of the stop mechanism for the cases;

Fig. 29, a broken sectional detail on the line XXIXXXIX of Fig. 28;

Fig. 30, a detail in elevation of the mechanism for controlling the clutch of Fig. 27;

Figs. 31 and 32, transverse sectional details on the lines XXXI-XXXI and XXXII-XXXII of Figs. 28 and 2'7, respectively;

Fig. 33, a, plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 27, with parts broken away;

Fig, 34, a detail in broken side elevation of the valve by which the elevator-stop is controlled;

Fig. 35, a top plan view of the valve through which the lap-turning fingers are retracted;

Fig. 36, a broken top plan view of the entir valve mechanism;

Fig. 37, a broken side elevation of the valve of Fig. 35;

Fig. 38, a vertical section showing the external form of the valve of Fig. 34 and taken at the left of the elevator cam;

Fig. 39, a plan of the elevator and associated conveyors, taken in a plane just above the casesupporting surfaces;

Fig. 40, a side elevation of the elevator, with its controlling and controlled mechanisms;

Fig. 41, a top plan view of a portion of the means for governing. the extent of upward movement of the elevator; and

Fig. 42, a diagrammatic representation in perspective of different box-arrangements in cases to be packed.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, there appears at S, s the delivery portions of a machine for folding or setting up from fiat blanks a box B and a cover C, respectively. This apparatus may be as disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,042,472, Knowlton, June 2, 1936, the boxes and covers being of the elongated form in which pairs of shoes are customarily enclosed for the retail trade. After the formation of these box-parts, they are advanced by reciprocatory pushing fingers 5D, 50 along narrow supporting surfaces 52, 52 beneath retaining bars 54 and springpressed plates 55, the major dimensions of the box-parts extending transversely of their paths. The fingers carry the box-parts beneath spring-'- fingers 56, which hold them against rearwardmovement, on to horizontal supporting plates 58 upon which they lie end to end in horizontal alinement. These plates are mounted upon an end-frame 69 at the beginning of the machine of the present invention, the general organization of which is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 26. This has a section D, in which each advancing box B, moving vertically, has a cover C applied to it. This is followed by a section E, in which the closed boxes are received, traveling horizontally at g and delivered to be assembled in horizontal rows at h by movement in a direction at right-angles to their receipt. Then, with another change in direction in section E, at rightangles to the preceding, they are assembled at i in layers made up of a plurality of rows. Finally, at section F, successive layers are carried down into a packing case P. The cases to be packed may be of diiferent dimensions and adapted to contain difierent numbers of boxunits. These cases with the contained box-units are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 42 of the drawings. The case a will contain twelve of the closed boxes in one layer with their lengths vertically disposed. The cases 12, c, d and e hold, respectively, eighteen, twenty-four, thirty-six and twenty-four of the units, each in two layers and with the lengths vertical. For the closure of the cases after packing, their longitudinal walls have joined to their upper edges by creases, laps k and m, while the transverse walls carry like laps n and 1.

Before the closing of the boxes is initiated, it is desired to determine whether there have arrived together from the setting-up sections'S and s, a box and'a cover, and, if one of these is missing, to reject the other, so an incomplete unit shall not go through the machine. Each plate 58 has at its forward side an opening 62 (Figs. 4 and 9) in a vertical wall 64 of the end- -frame 60. Each opening is normally closed by a gate 66 pivoted by a spindle 68 at the outer side of the wall 64. Fastupon the spindleisfin 5 arm" *joined by-a' link lr-to arrarnr 14 one shaft I6; 'journaled in; a bracket 11' above the gate; "The shaft'alsdhasfast uponit-a-pinion I8 with which meshes a vertically movable-rack 80 guided at'the outer side of ithe bracket: The rack' is attached to' the lower extremity -ofthe plungerof a. solenoid- 82'- mountedupon the bracket; The two solenoids; of the gates toward which the'setting up sections S. and-'s deliver, are connected in a circuit illustratedin Fig; 6 of? the drawings. In series with each solenoid is a contact device 84 associated with the'supporting surface 52 of the opposite setting-upsection; that'is, the solenoid-of section S is joined directly to,the contact device, of section s; andthatof section s. to the contactdevice ofsection S. These two circuits: are united'in parallel to some source 86 ofelectric currentand to acontact device 88. The contact device 08"is closed 'perie odicallybyia cam 90*.(Fig, 9), this b'eingat a time when either a box or acover islbeneath the corresponding contact device 84;" "The cam maybe upon a constantly rotating shaft92included'in the setting-up machine. Each contact device 84 is normallyclosed'but opened by the box-parts passing beneath it (Fig; 7)". It will be seen that during a testing period, at which time both a box andia cover should have'arrivedupon the plates 58', bothsolenoideoircuitswillbe closed at 86," but will have been openedat 84by the properly delivered box-parts. 'If; however, either of the setting up sections has failed to make its delivery, the corresponding. contact device 84 will remain closed. There will consequently be compl'eteda circuit for the solenoid of the. opposite settingeup section, which will draw up its plunger and through the. gearing, and other connections lift the gate 66. This. uncovers the opening 62, so the pushing fingers--50.Wil1 eject from the machine the box-part which is unaccompanied by its companionpart. The gate isturned to a position above the spindle 68, where it is held temporarily by a detent IOI pivoted upon the frame and. which has enteredma notch in the rack 80. A link I03 joins. the detent to alever I05 fulcrumed upon the frame, and held by a tension-spring I01 yi'eldably in the path of a projection I09 from a sprocket-wheel I48, another purposeofwhich is hereinafter described. At the end of the testing period, when the contact device 08- is opened by the .cam 90, the projection strikes-the leverand shifts the. detent inwardly .(Fig. 9), and its weight, and that of the plunger of the nowde-energized.solenoid, will return the gatev to its closed. relation. The apparatus is thereby made ready for the normal delivery of the succeeding pair-ofbox-parts, To'dispose-of the rejected part,eachof the openings 62 is continued by a chute, I00,,which delivers the discharged part to one of two ad-jacenthorizontal channels I02, I02. Between thetwo' channels runs a chain-conveyor I04, from which pins. I06 project oppositely into the channels. The chain operates over sprocket-wheels I08 and may be driven from the shaft 92. By this chain the unmatched box-parts-are removed from the machine.

. It maybe sometimes desirable for the operator to direct matched pairs of box-parts, or complete units, from their normal course through the ma.- chine. This may -be at times when a number of units less thana full case-lotis to be made. ltmaybe accomplished by causing their discharge through the openings 62.- Across the rear of the wall 64, a shaft 93 is journaled, having secured to its center a'hand lever' 94 'andat its extremities arms 95: These armsextend; respectively,-beneath the lower-ends of the-racks 80. By swinging the hand-lever; the: arms-may b'e-caused to engage the racks, liftingthese and so opening the gates 66 as to allow the passage of the box-parts into the chutes I00z= The-ole:- ments may be maintained in this relation as long as desired bya spring-latch 96 upon thelever; movable-into engagement with" an opening in-a bracket 98 through which the shaft 33pas'ses.

Assuming that a correctly paired box and cover have arrived upon the respective'plates 58 ready for closing, assembling andcasing; they are'situated upon opposite sidesof amember'I I0 (Fig. 8), which has converging curvedguide= surfaces H2 and M4 for the boxandcover; respectively. This guide member is an'element of the closing section D, and 'lies 'beneath'aiver tical channel formed between a back-wall II6; a-front=wall I I8 and pairs of rear'and'front*side= walls I 20, I22 and I23,' I25, respectively-,thesidewalls I20and I23co-operating with the box'and the other two walls'with the cover. The wall I I6is secured to the end-frame 60; whilethe wall H0 is carried parallel to the wall II6 by'upper and lower screws I24, I24 having pairs of nuts I26, I26, by which the wall H8 may be adjusted toward and from its companion. This'is to'give the proper spaces for boxes. and covers'ofdif ferent widths. The wall I20at the box-side is attached to the back-wall by inclined sl0t-'-andscrew connections I28; by which said wall I20'may be moved'in such a direction that there will be aspace between itand the opposite wall I22 to correspond to the depthof the box being operated upon. There 'is also maintained the correct relation. of its curved lower extremity I30 to the guide-surface II2,' with which it forms a gradually upwardly converging throat. The opposite wall I22 and its curved lower portion I32 are adjustable. angularly' about an upper pivot I34, joining it.to the back-wall, it being retained in place by a slot-and-screw connection I36. This varies the width of the throat between thesurfaces at" H4 and I32 to correspond to the length of the cover, which is to pass through it. The side-walls I23'and I25'are similarly supported upon the 'plate I I8.

Between the side walls I20, I22 and I23, I25 are spaces, and rotating-vertically through each of these spaces; transversely" across the corresponding plate 58, is'an arm, that designated'as I42 being at the'box-side'an'd I44 at the"cover-' side (Fig. 9). Each arm 'is secured tea-shaft I46, journaled horizontally in the frame and turned through 360 foreach closing operation bysprocket-gearing I48; which may receivepower from the setting-upmachine. As appears in Fig. 8," where the arms areshown in successive positions, 'the cover-arm I 44'acts somewhat in "advance of'the arm-I42 for the box; They come into engagement with the box-parts as the setting-up sections sand S deliver these upon the plates-:58, force the inner extremities of" said parts against the guide surfaces-II4 and H2, respectively, and elevate them beneath the curved wall-surfaces I32 and I30 into the'closing'chan nel. Within this channel, through each of the walls I22 and I25, projectsthe inwardly curved end I SI of a spring retarding and retaining member I50; which is mounted upon its wall forve'rtical adjustment by a slot-and-screw. connection I52. As .the upper end of the-cover reaches and is retarded. by the portion. .I 5 I of the spring, when the arm I44 is just leaving the lower end aces-.035

7 of said cover, the upper end of the box is within thecover and the arm I42 is continuing to raise it. Consequently, the box-end, which has been brought by the relation of the sides of thechan- .nel between the side-walls of the cover, will be urged up against the end-wall of said cover to fullyenter and be closed by it as the parts are continuously advanced. .Whenthe arm I42 has lifted the closed box above the retaining portion of the spring I50 and is leaving it, there contacts with the lower extremity of the boxa vertically oscillating arm I56, located at the inner side of the arm I42. This arm I56 receives its motion from the shaft I26 of the arm I42 by way of a crank I58, link I66 and arm I62, the latter being fast upon a horizontal shaft I65 with the arm. At the limit of its upward travel, the arm I56 carries the box with its applied cover out of the closing section D to the upper level of section E, in which the closed boxes are assembled in preparation for introduction into a packing case.

At the beginning of section E, each box-unit is between side-walls I66, I68, which hold the box parts against separation and which are adjustable toward and from each other upon the frame by slot-and-screw connections I19. As the arm I56 reaches its highest point, as appears in dashdot lines in Fig. 8, and just before its movement is reversed, the cox-unit which it supports is engaged by the vertically extended end I12 of a horizontally oscillating arm I14. This arm I14 is fixed to a vertical spindle I16 arranged to turn in the frame. Upon a short extension I18 from the arm I14 (Fig. 1), a member I86 is pivoted and has passing through a horizontal bore a link I 62, which, by virtue of a spring I84 and stop-collars I86, I86, is yieldable in one direction upon the arm-extension. The link I82 is joined to an arm I 38 secured to the upper extremity of a vertical shaft I66, turnin in the frame and oscillated through bevel-gearing I92 from the shaft I64. The arm I12, I14, by its yieldable contact with the box-unit, carries this from the arm I 56, as one of an accumulating series, upon a horizontal plate I94 of section E. Here, it lies, resting upon one end, between the Vertical inner surfaces of opposed conveyor-belts I96, I96, running upon pairs of rolls 596, I68 secured to vertical shafts 206 journaled upon the frame.

One of the belts engages the bottom of the box,

while the other contacts with the cover, the closure of the box thus being maintained. The mountings of one or both pairs of shafts 266 may be adjustable toward and from the other by slotand-screw connections 262 (Fig. 8), to give the proper space for box-units of different heights. .To enable the belts to sufficiently grasp and carry the units forward without marring them, they maybe faced with some material 204 having closely placed soft projecting fibers; for example, as sheep-skin with the wool engaging the units. The shafts 266 are rotated to cause the opposed engaging surfaces of the belts to travel in the direction of the arrow (Fig. l) by bevel-gearing 266 (Fig. 13), which joins them to a horizontal shaft 208 journaled beneath the plate I94. Sprocket-gearing 2ID connects the shaft 268 to a shaft 2| I (Fig. journaled horizontally upon a raised portion 2I2 of the frame and driven by a motor 2M (Fig. 12). To prevent yield of the belts away from the box-units, they may be backed by walls 2I6 (Fig. 1) extending along the inner sides of their opposed runs, and adjustable upon the plate I96 toward and from each other by slot-and-screw connections 2I8. To take up 8 slack in the belts, the outer runs may betensioned by rolls 226, each rotatable upon a lever 222 fulcrumed at 224 upon the plate I94 and acted upon by a tension-spring 226, which urges the roll against its belt," The belts I96 preferably travel at a rate greater than the movement of the en'- gaging end I12 of the arm I14. As a result of this, the box-units, as they are advanced by the belts from the arm, are held. spaced somewhat from one another in the series. This permits the operator to introduce the fingers readily between adjacent units and remove any one for inspection or other purposes.

Forwarded by the belts I96 in the manner just indicated, the box-units are delivered one-by-one toward a stop-wall 232 (Fig. 10), alined, in the direction of advance, with a plate 236 which is forwardly and downwardly inclined from the horizontal, while the wall 232 is correspondingly inclined from the vertical for a purpose which will appear in connection with the description of section F of the apparatus. The wall may be ad justed in the direction of delivery of the boxunits to correspond to their depth or height by slot-and-screw connections 233 to the frame. The belts I96, I96 do not extend to the plate 230, thereby avoiding interference with the next transfer, which occurs transversely of said belts. To ensure the positive arrival of each unit against the wall 232, the lower and upper ends of said unit are, respectively, engaged by rotatable rolls 234 and 236. Each roll may be surfaced with sponge-rubber 23B protected against abrasion by a covering of leather, to give better engagement with the units. The roll 234 operates through a slot in the plate I94.and is driven by sprocketgearing 2 56 from the shaft 208. The shaft 2II of the upper roll 236 is rotatable in an arm 242, pivoted about a horizontal shaft 244 journaled in a bracket 245 mounted for vertical adjustment at the underside of the frame-portion 2 I2. The normal position of this roll 236 may be varied by a stop-screw 246 threaded through a rearward extension of the arm 242 and bearing against the bracket. The roll 236 is driven by sprocket-gearing 248 between the shafts 208 and 2 14 and sprocket-gearing 250 between the shafts 244 and 26 I. To the left of its path of advance, each boxunit is retained by vertically spaced narrow walls 252, 252. The support 254 of these walls may be adjusted laterally to correspond to the adjustment of the corresponding belt I96 by slotand-screw connections I56. At the right, opposite the beginning of the plate 236, the units are temporarily held in correct alinement by a row of pins 258 rising through slots in the plate I92 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). These pins are mounted to yield when a transferring force is applied to the opposite side of the units, they being held in normally upright relation by torsion-springs 266 acting upon a horizontal spindle 262 turning beneath the plate and by which the pins are carried.

From its position delivered against the wall 232, each box-unit is transferred over a plate 262, divided to straddle one of the pins 258 and inclined downwardly-toward the rear of the machine and toward the advancing IbOX (Fig. 2). This tilts the unit forwardly to bring it into the angle of the plate 236 .by which it is now received, traveling in a direction at right-angles to its preceding advance. This movement is effected by a pair of upper and lower members 266, which are reciprocated above and between the spaced walls 252 (Figs. 1,10 and 13) uponthe arrival 9 e h ox unit in. position for assembling in a, 

